Jeff McNeil, Dwight Smith Jr. Chase Top Seed in MLB The Show Players League

The New York Mets' Jeff McNeil and Baltimore Orioles' Dwight Smith Jr. took sizable steps toward making the postseason in the MLB The Show Players League on Wednesday night.

Smith went 2-1 with wins over Lance McCullers Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr., tying McNeil's record and sitting just three wins back of Joey Gallo for first place overall. Wednesday's action produced mixed results across the board, but those few wins among playoff contenders are vital, especially with 10 teams within three games back of the eighth and final playoff spot.

As the regular season moves into the final third of the 29-game round-robin schedule, there's hardly any room for error among postseason hopefuls.

Here's how things stand after Wednesday's action:

Amir Garrett, Cincinnati Reds (12-8)

vs. Soto (WSH): 6-4 Loss

at Tucker (PIT): 7-5 Win

at Hoskins (PHI): 4-0 Loss

vs. Stanek (MIA): 1-0 Win

Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers (10-9)

vs. Buttrey (LAA): 2-1 Win

at McNeil (NYM): 6-0 Loss

at Hoskins (PHI): 4-1 Win

Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies (10-13)

vs. McNeil (NYM): 9-0 Loss

vs. Santana (CLE): 3-1 Loss

vs. Garrett (CIN): 4-0 Win

at Hader (MIL): 4-1 Loss

Lance McCullers Jr., Houston Astros (8-11)

at Santana (CLE): 6-3 Win

at Tatis Jr. (SD): 3-0 Loss

vs. Smith Jr. (BAL): 4-0 Loss

vs. Phillips (KC): 7-4 Loss

Jeff McNeil, New York Mets (14-4)

at Hoskins (PHI): 9-0 Win

vs. Hader (MIL): 6-0 Win

vs. Buttrey (LAA): 3-2 Loss

vs. Santana (CLE): 5-4 Win

Brett Phillips, Kansas City Royals (9-11)

at Smith Jr. (BAL): 3-2 Win

vs. Tatis Jr. (SD): 10-7 Loss

at McCullers Jr. (HOU): 7-4 Win

vs. Stanek (MIA): 4-2 Loss

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians (3-14)

vs. McCullers Jr. (HOU): 6-3 Loss

at Hoskins (PHI): 3-1 Win

at McNeil (NYM): 5-4 Loss

Dwight Smith Jr., Baltimore Orioles (14-8)

vs. Phillips (KC): 3-2 Loss

at McCullers Jr. (HOU): 4-0 Win

vs. Tatis Jr. (SD): 3-1 Win

Ty Buttrey, Los Angeles Angels (4-14)

at Hader (MIL): 2-1 Loss

at McNeil (NYM): 3-2 Win

Juan Soto, Washington Nationals (9-9)

at Garrett (CIN): 6-4 Win

at Stanek (MIA): 2-0 Win

vs. Tucker (PIT): 2-1 Win

Ryne Stanek, Miami Marlins (7-13)

vs. Soto (WSH): 2-0 Loss

at Phillips (KC): 4-2 Win

at Garrett (CIN): 1-0 Loss

Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (13-6)

vs. McCullers Jr. (HOU): 3-0 Win

at Phillips (KC): 10-7 Win

at Smith Jr. (BAL): 3-1 Loss

Cole Tucker, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-16)

vs. Garrett (CIN): 7-5 Loss

at Soto (WSH): 2-1 Loss

McCullers seemed like he was heading for a big night early on after picking up wins over Carlos Santana and Tatis. Then he got a bit cocky.

Facing off against Brett Phillips and Kansas City, the Astros hurler took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and began cracking jokes at Philips' expense. That led to Philips taunting McCullers to throw him a high fastball, on which the Royals outfielder connected for a single. That started a five-run rally for Kansas City that left McCullers scrambling.

Philips wouldn't return the favor. He piled on two more runs for a 7-4 victory and stays alive in the American League Central.

McCullers, for his part, jokingly claimed he had an excuse, as he was reeling from an unfortunate food-delivery episode that had his opponent cackling.

Only the top eight overall teams will advance to the postseason with run differential serving as the tiebreaker. Heading into Thursday's slate, the Texas Rangers, Mets, Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Padres and Reds are all safely in the playoff picture at the moment.

Play resumes at 9 p.m. ET Thursday night with all games streaming live on Twitch.